Our Kent Family try picking pumpkins in Kent at Saffery Farm in Faversham

by Lauren Abbott

labbott@thekmgroup.co.uk

It's a bold statement that I'm about to make...but I think this week's pumpkin picking will possibly go down as one of my most favourite days of the year.

The sun was shining - in October no less - and for anyone who got out in it will know just what a lovely day it was.

It is day five of the half term break and the kids were (still) on good form (almost).

The faces are cute but look at that October sky.

And today we went somewhere we've never been before, not too far from where we live and had the most simple and beautiful of afternoons.

Pumpkin biscuits, pumpkin cupcakes...Liv has a wishlist already

Now we haven't picked pumpkins for a few years.

We probably last went when Liv was very little.

I remember the field we chose was packed, it was very windy and struggling back to the car, which was parked precariously on a grass verge with a heavy baby in one arm, a pumpkin or two under the other while trying to keep hold of a toddling Oscar was maybe not the picture perfect moment I'd probably had in mind at the time.

The group were heading to a Halloween party

But at the start of the half term break I quizzed both Oscar and Liv as to what they would most like to do with their week off and among the ridiculous and outlandish suggestions as well as the predictable 'Disneyland' requests, was a desire to go pumpkin picking.

And putting it in a trolley at the supermarket, said Oscar, would not count.

Now as someone who grew up in north Kent, spent a fair bit of time living in east Kent and has since moved to somewhere more in the middle, I think my knowledge of the county is ok.

And of course this blog - and being able to explore the county with small children - has opened our eyes to so much more.

But then someone suggests somewhere you didn't know existed not too far from home - a total hidden gem - and that for us this week was Saffery Farm.

A small but yet perfectly formed pumpkin patch on a farm which can be found down a tiny track in Selling near Faversham.

Surrounded by the most beautiful countryside there is just the patch, a stall selling other local produce and a wonderful lady serving hot drinks, biscuits and cakes - who was even kind enough to share with us her pumpkin and chocolate spread cupcake recipe.

Pumpkin patches often sell other local produce alongside their squash haul.

Now there wasn't the crafts, pumpkin cutting demonstrations, face painting or large amounts of hot food that I know some of Kent's pumpkin patches have been serving up.

And it wasn't overly Halloween themed either - there were hay bales and pumpkins a plenty but apart from one tiny skeleton someone had hung in a tree, there were no plastic Halloween decorations and it was all the more beautiful for it.

And most importantly, on this occasion, there was plenty of parking.